Display card



y 16, 1940- s. V.--ANDERSON 08,354

DIS-PLAY CARD Filed-13.1 1. s, 1939 lialorfluleraam www Patented July16, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

My invention relates to the art of display card support from cans andlike containers.

A purpose of my invention is to pull the top of the card forward by theuse of attaching tabs and to hold the bottom back by a tongue whileusing these parts to hold the card upon a can.

A further purpose is to fit tabs and other fastening means upon andabout a can by movement of the attaching end of a display card in asingle direction.

A further purpose is to hook a portion of a card under the outer edge ofthe seam with a can top and at the same time check the card againstrearward movement by engagement of a tongue with the inner surface ofthe top of the head inset, holding against swinging movement by wingsturned up from the attaching flap.

, Further purposes will appear in the specification and in the claims.

I have preferred to illustrate my invention by one main form only,selecting a form which is simple, highly practical and inexpensive andwhich at the same time well illustrates the prin ciples thereof.

35 Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank from which my invention is formed.

Figure 1a is a fragmentary view like Figure 1 but showing amodification.

Figure 2 is a front perspective view of a card and can assembled inposition.

Figure 3 is a perspective view from the rear showing the attachment ofthe card, but with a slight variation in the path of the tab scorelines.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary rear perspective view.

In the drawing similar numerals indicate like parts.

Many efforts have been made to attach display cards to the tops of cansso that the cards may be supported individually by the can, permittingdisplay wherever there is. footing for a can. In supplying that need Ihave directed my attention primarily to simplicity of construction, tofirmness of attachment and to ease of assemblage for mounting upon thecan, the latter being secured by downward movement of the attaching cardflap upon and over the upper part of the can.

i As now manufactured substantially all cans and like containerscomprise side walls with identical tops and bottoms inset and attachedto the side walls by beads forming inner cylindrical walls of the insetsand turned over the side walls in seams. The top and bottom are alike.Though it thus will make no difference mechanically as to which end ofthe can is up, the disp y Card will naturally be placed upon the top ofthe can.

As ordinarily constructed the cans or containers comprise side walls 6,tops and bottoms l inset at 8 so as to provide raised beads 9 and inner5 and outer cylindrical bead surfaces In and H, which with the crowns 12of the bead seam over the end walls. The outer bead surfaces formflanged edges or seam edges [3 outside of and close to the cylindricalside wall surface. 10

My display card l4 may be made out of any sheet material firm enough andstiff enough for the purpose, but will ordinarily be made from acardboard or pulpboard.

The card M is integral with a flap l5 between 15 which and the cardthematerial is scored at I6 and I! just sufficiently to permit bending atnearly a right-angle while maintaining firm support between the flap andthe body of the card and to avoid all danger of breaking. 20

For the purpose of attachment to the top of the can the flap is outalong curved line [8 just large enough to permit the greater part of theflap to pass over the head of the can, i. e., over the bead at the topof the can. This curved out 5 line does not extend through the completecircumference. Material must be left uncut and scored at l9by which tohinge the tongue 20 forming the greater part of the interior of the cutportion. 30

Tabs 2| must be left attached to the fiap and not to the tongue for apurpose hereinafter indicated, and wings 22 must be provided, attachedvery desirably to the base of the tongue rather than to the flap. 35

The attachment of the tabs 2| is efiected along score lines 23 which areshown in Figure 1 as straight lines forming chords to extensions of theline I8. The tabs may be stiffened at this point, if desired, bybulging, for example using 40 curves as the path of scoring 23' as inFigure 3. The extent to which the shape of this line is bulged affectsthe rigidity of the attachment of the tab to the flap, though the deviceis fully operative with straight scoring. 45

In the case of scored line 23 or 23, as in the case of the scored linesI6, I1 and I9, the depth of scoring must be proportioned to the strengthand thickness of the board selected for the display card so as to permitbending and clearly to define 50 the line of the bendv while maintainingconsiderable rigidity of attachment. A strong spring effect may thus besecured, tending to bring the tabs back into the plane of the flap.

The shapes of the out edges 24 and 25 of the 55 tab are not importantbut the edge 23 is so cut that, with the intended extent of depressionof the ring 2! of the flap below the rim of the can, shown at 28, theedge 26 will engage the under edge l3 of the bead 9.

The wings 29 are out free from the material of the tab at 24; from flapI along lines 33 and 3|,and from the card l4 along lines 32. The shapeof the other lines is unimportant, but the direction and position oflines 32 with respect to the lines It and I! are important because whenturnedup the edges at 32 are intended to control the position (that is,the extent of tilting) of the card is with respect to the perpendicular.The card is pulled against the edges at 32 which form abutments limitingits swinging movement toward theobserver in Figure 3.

Normally it is desirable to have the card ver-' ing of the wings withoutdanger, of breakage of the board. As there is little advantage in havingthe wings spring down toward or into the plane of the flap, the scoringsfor these wings may be slightly deeper than that preferred for the otherscorings. g

The angle at which scoring 33 is located is different in Figures 1 and 3from that in Figure 1a. In Figures 1 and 3 it is approximatelyperpendicular to the cut line 32 with the result that the two lines 33are diagonal to each other but the edge of cut 32 swings up to anapproximately perpendicular position as the wing is lifted. In Figure 1a33' is perpendicular tothe continuations of lines I6 and I1 and the line32' is approximately in line with these score lines [6 and I1. The exactangle and, position of line 32' with and with respect to the score linesI6 and I! may thus be varied for special purposes such, for example, asvarying the extent to which the card is pushed forward at this pointbyreason of its engaging the edge of the wing and the exact angle atwhich the card comes to rest when it is pulled backward'by theplacementof the flap upon thetop of the can.

In the form of Figure la the card is cut out at 34 ateach side,preferably connecting with the cut lines 32' so as to leave a space 35at each side at'least high enough when the card is turned up to fit overthe bead of the can. In the form of Figures 1 .and 3 no separate out outis required to provide the space as it is formed by thecut at 32extending into the material of the card as distinct from the material ofthe flap or tongue. This space 34 (called a cutout) has side walls 36and 31 and top 38. It permits the entire tongue to fit down into thebottom of the recess in the can top without interference by engagementof the crown of the rim with the material of the card. The front of thetongue is the hinge line (score line) 19 and the rear of the tongue isat the end 39 of the curved line I8.

The form in Figure 3 differs from that in Figure 1 in other particularsin that the tab 2| is conne cted with the flap ring by a differentcharacter of score line at a slightly difierent position with respect tothe tongue. The score line 23' is shown not only as curved-thedistinction from being straightbut that the score line- 23 lies outsidethe continuation of the curved line l8, 1. 'e., the two score lines 23are slightly farther the edges of the wings as abutments.

apart than are thescore lines 23. The purpose of this is so that thetabs will not only have slightly stiffer attachments to the flapmaterial resulting in more spring for the same depth of scoring, whetherthe scoring be by cutting or by pressure merely, but that the basis ofthe tabs may be spaced a little from the side walls of the can by thismeans and the tabs may thus extend diagonally with respect to the sidewalls of the can, concentrating the spring pressure of the tabs moreupon those portions of the side wall of the canimmediately beneath theseam at the top. 7 My invention is fully operative. with the tabsparallel to the wall surface but I find a little better concentration oftab pressure to resist slipping in the Figure .3 form than in the otherform. I

When the card and its flap are to be applied upon the top of the can,the flap and tongue are folded approximately90 on the lines I6, I! andI9 and are placed in position over the top of the can, the'spaces 34 andrear of the tongue registering with the crown of the bead of the can.

The tongue is then presseddown into the recess at the top of the canengaging, about the curve at l8, the cylindrical inner wall of therecess at the back of thecan and by the same act pushing the inner,portion 31 of the cutout 34 7 toward and permissibly against innerspaced surfaces on the cylindrical inner wall of the recess. The placingof the tongue positions the card with respect to the display portion ofthe can.

At the same time the tongue is pushed down into the inset recess in thecan the ring of the flap is pushed down over the-outside of the canuntil the ring comes to some such position as is seen in Figure 3. Thisproduces three effects. As the ring is pressed down the wings engage thecan bead and by it are turned upwardly toward the position seen inFigure 3 where their edges at 32 limit the rearward swing of the card.The ring will not stay down in the position seen in Figure 3 by itselfbut during the passage of the flap over the top of the can the tabs alsoengage the can bead and are pushed outwardly by it to a point where theyspring toward each other bringing them against the outer can wall belowthe seam so that movement of the flap upwardly is prevented byengagement of the upper edges at 26 of these tabs with the under-outersurface of the bead at the seam.

Pushing the ring of the flap down over the rear of the side wall of thecan pulls the flap toward the back of the can. Since the rear of thetongue is firmly fastened in the inset top of the can the tongue can notyield but the attachment of the flap to the card through the walls ofthe cut out pull the card. This pullbecomes effective at the topof thecut-out which, being above the tongue gives a leverage equal to thedistance above the tongue, effective to draw the card back against Thepull of the card toward the rear of the tongue swings the card upwardlyand rearwardly and by the raised position of the card provides theadditional material required to accommodate the position of the flapring in Figure 3.

Since the leverage is small as compared to the additional yield of'material called for by the position of the ring the card is drawntightly againstthe wings 'and the outer parts of the card at each side,between the cut-outs and the outsides of the card are pulledbodilybackward,

lifted by the card. 1

of the card to project at 40 relatively with respect to the sideportions 41 and 42 as intended to be shown in Figure 2. "However, thegreater part of the strain upon theportions of the card at 3'! isaccommodated by swinging the card upwardly about its scored lines l6 andI1 and the tongue score line l9 until this upward swinging movement isstopped by engagement of the rear face of the card at the bottom withthe now up turned edges of the wings. The stretching and rearwardmovement of the portion of the card at the cut-out with respect to thescore line 19 has been shown in a large scale in Figure 4.

It will now be evident that the tongue is seated in the rear of theinset of the top of thecan by the strain of the flap ring engaging therear of the side wall of the can, and that engagement of the front innerwalls of the cut-out with the inner walls of the recess is notnecessary.

The engagement of my mount with the top of the can mounts the cardquickly, reliably and by a single downward movement upon and over thecan and is so effective that the can may be It will be evident-that thetively lifted from their positions in the plane of the tongue and flapwhen the fiap ring is pushed down over the outside of the top of thecan.

., While this effect is secured automatically it may base of the tongueto which they are attached so as to give maximum abutment edge surfacefor a minimum of material devoted to wings and to bring the diagonallines at 32 into perpendicular position.

It will be evident that the form of flap mount for card flaps indicatedis independent of the shape and character of the card or figure whichmay be mounted upon and by the flap.

It will be seen that the operation of placing the flap of the card onthe top of a can requires downward movement only; downward movement ofthe flap tongue inside the recess of the card top and continuingdownward movement of the flap; unless it be desired additionally to liftthe wings above the position to which they are lifted by engagement withthe can bead.

It will be evident that the wings are best connected with the tonguerather than the flap ring because the tongue remains in parallelism withthe recessed can top and minimal height of wing is required. By placingthem so as to overhang the can bead they are automatically raised part,at least, of the way to their operating position as the tongue ispressed down into the recess of the top of the can.

It will be evident that the location of the tabs along the sides of thecan is a matter of convenience. It is preferrednot to locate them nearthe center at the rear of the can ring as cutting them out of the tongueat this point unduly weakens the tongue.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications tomeet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident toothers skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of myinvention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claimall such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scopeof my invention.

Having thus described my invention what I wings will be relaclaim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i

1. In a cardand flap adapted for engagement through thefiap with a cantop recessed within a can head, a card, a flap ring and tongue hingedseparately to the card, the card being out between their hingedpositions to allow it to fit over the bead of the can, permitting thetongue to fit down into the recess in the top of the can and engage thetop and the rear inner wall of the recess and adapting the flap ring tobe swung down over the top of thecan and thus to pull the card towardthe rear from points of card attachment above the tongue hinge adjacentthe cuts, and means for holding the fiap ring down. J

2. In a card and flap adapted for engagement through the flap with a cantop recessed within a can bead, a card, a flap ring and tongue hingedseparately to the card, the card being out between their hingedpositions to allow it to fit over the bead of the can, permitting thetongue to fit down into the recess in the top ofthe can and engage therear inner wall of the recess and adapting the flap ring to be swungdown over the top of the can and thus to pull the card toward the rearfrom points of card attachment above the tongue hinge adjacent the cuts,means for holding the fiap ring down and an abutment from the tongueadapted to limit the extent to which the card is pulled rearwardly.

,3. In a card and flap adapted for engagement through the fiap with acan top recessedlwithin a can bead, a card, a flap ring and a tongue,the latter two hinged separately to the card, the card being out betweenthe ring and tongue to allow the card to fit over the bead of the can,permitting the tongue to fit down into the recess in the top of, the canand engage the top and the rear inner Wall of the recess and adaptingthe fiap ring to be swung down over the top of the can and thus to pullthe card toward the rear from points of card attachment above the tonguehinge adjacent the cuts, and means for limiting swinging movement of thecard.

4. In a card and flap adapted for engagement through the flap with a cantop recessed within a can bead, a card, a flap ring and a tongue, thelatter two hinged separately to the card, the card being out between thering, and tongue to allow the card to fit over the bead of the can,permitting the tongue to fit down into the recess in the top of. the canand engage the top and the rear inner wall of the recess and adaptingthe flap ring to be swung down over the top of the can and thus to pullthe card toward the rear from points of card attachment above the tonguehinge adjacent the cuts and oppositely extending projections hinged tothe flap ring and tongue base respectively for engagement by the side ofthe can and by the card respectively.

5. In a card and fiap adapted for engagement through the flap with a cantop recessed within a can bead, a card, a flap ring and a tongue, thelatter two hinged separately to the card, the card being out between thering and tongue to allow the card to fit over the bead of the can,permitting the tongue to fit down into the recess in the top of. the canand engage the top and the rear inner wall of the recess and adaptingthe flap ring to be swung down over the top of the can and thus to pullthe card toward the rear from points of card attachment above the tonguehinge adjacent the cuts and tabs score-hinged to the flap ring andadapted to engage beneath the can bead to hold the ring down.

6. In a card and flap adapted for engagement through the flap with a cantop recessed within a can bead, a card, a flap ring and a tongue, thelatter two hinged separately to the card, the card being out between thering and tongue to allow,

the card to fit over the bead of the can, permitting the tongue to fitdown into the recess in the top of. the can and engage the top and therear inner wall of the recess and adapting the flap ring to be swungdown over the top of the can and thus to pull the card toward the rearfrom points of card attachment above the tongue hinge adjacent the cuts,tabs score-hinged to the flap ring and adapted to engage beneath the canbead to hold the ring down and means for limiting swinging movement ofthe card.

"7. In a card fiap attaching means for support of a card upon a canhaving a top recess, a card, a flap hinged thereto comprising a tongueout out from the body of the flap and hinged to the card substantiallyin line with the hinging of the flap, the cutting out of the tongueleaving a surrounding flap ring attached to the card and adapted to fitover the top of. the can, tabs at opposite sides hinged to the flap andextending toward each other, adapted to engage with the edge of the topseam of the can and wings hinged to the base of the tongue and adaptedin upstanding position to be engaged by the card, the

card being cut away at opposite sides of the tongue at the junction ofthe tongue with the card to span the bead of the can, whereby the tonguefits into the recess in the top of the can card substantially in linewith the hinging of the flap, the cutting out of the tongue leavinga-surrounding flap ring attached to the card and adapted to fit over thetop of the can, tabs at opposite sides hinged to the flap and extendingtoward each other, adapted to engage withthe edge of the top seam of thecan and wings a land is tightened therein by reason of downward hingedto the base of the tongue and adapted in upstanding position to beengaged by the card,

the card being cut away at opposite sides of. the tongue whereby thetongue fits into the recess in the top of the can and is tightenedtherein by engagement of the tongue with the can and the fiap ring withthe side of the can.

9. A card and can engaging flap adapted to fit upon and to be secured tothe outer side walls and recessed top and bead of a can, scored betweenthe card and flap, having a tongue adapted to fit into the recessed topof the can and against the inner surface of the top bead at the rear ofthe top and grooved so as to span the can bead at spaced points towardthe front of the can, whereby the tongue and the walls of the grooves inthe card tightly seat the tongue within the recess, wings inside thebead, hinged to the tongue and adapted when turned up to be engaged bythe card and tabs outside the bead,

hinged to the flap and adapted to spring against the sides of the canand abutthe under edges of the top can bead.

10. In a mount for exhibit cards adapted to fit upon a can having outerside walls, upper edge and adapted to pass over and fit against theupper part of the can and by movement down- Wardly on the can pull thecard toward the free end of the tongue and seat the tongue in the rearof the recess whereby'the pull of the flap ring is effective above thehingeline of the card to pull the card rearwardly and abutments adaptedto be turned up from the material of the flap to limitrearward swingingmovement of the card.

SVEN VICTOR ANDERSON.

